SARCOMA BIOLOGY AND GENOMICS
PILLAY LABOROTORY
Who We Are
Dr Akanksha Farswan
(she/her)
Post-Doc
I joined Dr. Pillay’s lab at UCL (University College London) Cancer Institute in August 2022 as a research fellow. My research work involves the bioinformatic analysis of the whole genome data of clear cell sarcoma (CCS) along with the development and improvement of computational methods for research. This study is a part of the CCS project which aims to undertake the multi-omics characterization of clear cell sarcoma to identify new therapeutic opportunities and improve outcomes for patients. I am also working on other projects which involve inferring copy number signatures in cancer patients. Before joining UCL cancer Institute, I completed my Ph.D. from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIITD), India. My Ph.D. work was on the development of computational strategies for addressing challenges in cancer genomics.
Christopher Davies (he/him)
PhD student
I completed my master’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine from the University of Nottingham and then went on to work for a biotechnology firm and the NHS. I now support the Pillay group and the Edward Showler Foundation as the biobank coordinator and laboratory technician, hoping to underpin the multi-omic landscape of clear cell sarcoma using various cutting edge technologies including Oxford Nanopore long-read whole genome sequencing and 10X Genomics single cell RNA sequencing.
Dr Jianan Chen
Post-doctoral scientist
I completed my PhD at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Anne Martel. My PhD research was focused on improving outcome prediction for cancer patients using machine learning and medical image analysis. Currently, my work revolves around developing novel artificial intelligence models for analyzing digital pathology slides and genomic sequencing data, with a specific focus on investigating chromosomal instability in sarcoma.
Dr Boyu Yu
Post-doctoral scientist
I did my PhD at the CRUK Scotland Institute, University of Glasgow, where my research focused on detecting upstream open reading frame translation using Ribo-Seq and RNA-Seq data. My current research interests include investigating and developing workflows for analysing copy number signatures as potential biomarkers in complex sarcoma subtypes, as well as investigating the association between copy number signatures and chromosomal instability.
Dr Thomas Oliver
Clinical Training Fellow and JSPS Clinical Lecturer
I am a Clinical Training Fellow and JSPS Clinical Lecturer, as well as a Specialty Registrar in Paediatric Pathology at Great Ormond Street Hospital. I was previously a Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, supervised by Prof Sam Behjati and Dr Raheleh Rahbari. By integrating the morpho-molecular features, I study the clonal evolution of developing tissues in time and space. I am particular interested in understanding how this process is altered by anti-cancer therapies and germline tumour predisposition.
My current projects involve using a variety of bulk, single-cell and spatial multiomic technologies to study the kidney development in children predisposed to nephroblastoma and the mutagenic effects of chemoradiotherapy in normal and neoplastic paediatric tissues.
Professor Nischalan Pillay
MBChB,FCPath,FRCPath,PhD
Laboratory Team Leader
I am an academic pathologist and honorary consultant histopathologist.
My research focusses on identifying and developing genomic biomarkers of chromosomal instability for prognostication and for understanding the mechanisms that generate genomic complexity in sarcoma. Our lab is committed to improving diagnosis and treatment for people with sarcoma through the use of cutting edge genomic and computational pathology techniques.
I am passionate about development and training of clinicians and scientists interested in translational research.
Dr Thomas Butters (he/him)
PhD Student, co-supervised with the Flanagan group
I attained a Medical degree (MBBS) with an intercalated BSc in Clinical Sciences and Pharmacology (BSc Hons) from the Imperial College School of Medicine in London. After graduating, I undertook an Academic Foundation training post at St Bart's Hospital in London where I worked as a sub-investigator on Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for bladder and renal cancer. I began my Histopathology training in London during which time I attained a 6-month, Jean Shanks Foundation and Pathological Society (JSPS) funded, Predoctoral Bursary to undertake sarcoma research at UCL Cancer Institute. I am now in my first year of a Clinical PhD programme funded by JSPS. I am currently studying the genomic context of whole genome doubling in sarcoma.
Sidi Yang
PhD student
I completed my undergraduate studies in Pharmaceutical Science and Technology at Tianjin University in China. Following this, I pursued a master’s degree in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at the University of Manchester. After earning my master’s, I worked as a research assistant in the Wedge Lab for one year, funded by the PanProstate Cancer Group (PPCG). Currently, I am undertaking a PhD focusing on the regulation and role of transposable elements in sarcoma
Runtian Lin (Leo)
I completed my BSc in Cancer Biomedicine at the UCL . With a keen interest in genetics and bioinformatics, I am currently pursuing an MSc in Genetics of Human Disease. Currently, I am undertaking a graduate research project in this lab, focusing on spatial and scRNA data related to clear cell sarcoma.
Laura Seabra Tavares
CRUK MDPhD
I am studying towards a medical degree (MB,BS) at UCL, with an embedded MBPhD at Professor Pillay’s lab. My current research focuses on the application of whole genome sequencing to liquid biopsies of patients diagnosed with genomically complex sarcomas. I first joined the lab in 2023 as a summer student, to investigate the methylation landscape of clear cell sarcoma. As part of my medical studies, I completed an intercalated BSc (iBSc) in Medical Oncology, and bioengineered human-derived 3D models to explore neuroendocrine tumours’ microenvironment. I aspire to become a clinical academic in paediatric oncology.
